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MT208-P01.
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The will of God, by which He chooses to love Himself, follows necessarily
from His understanding, by which He knows Himself. But we do not know
how His essence and His understanding, by which he knows Himself, differ
from His will, by which he chooses to love Himself. Nor does the term
personality, which theologians use to explain this, escape our
notice. Although we are not ignorant of the term, we are ignorant of
its significance, and unable to form any clear and distinct concept of
its content. Nevertheless, we consistently believe in the beatific
vision of God, which is promised to faithful ones that this would be
revealed to them.
We cannot distinguish between God's essence, His understanding by which He knows Himself, and His will by which He loves Himself.
MT208-P02.
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As is sufficiently clear from the preceding, God's will and power
considered objectively cannot be distinguished from His understanding.
For we have made it clear that God has not only decreed that things
should exist, but also what character they should have, i.e., their
essence and existence depend upon the will and power of God.
From this we see that God's understanding and power, and will,
by which He created and understands, and conserves
or loves the world, cannot be distinguished from one another except
in respect to our understanding.
God's will and power considered as objective cannot be distinguished from His understanding.
MT208-P03.
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Moreover, when we say that God holds certain things in disfavor, and
loves others, this is spoken figuratively, as when the Scriptures
say that the earth shall bring forth men. That God is not angry with
any one, nor loves any one in the sense that people ordinarily believe,
is evident from the Scriptures themselves. So Isaiah says, and more
clearly the Apostle to the Romans, chapter 9: "For the children being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purposes
of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him
that calleth, that the older shall serve the younger, etc."
And a little below: "Therefore, hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say men unto me:
Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay, but,
O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed
say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel to
honor, and another to dishonor?" etc.
It is improperly said that God hates certain things and loves others.
MT208-P04.
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If then, you ask: Why, then, does God admonish men? To this it may
be responded, that God has decreed from eternity to admonish them at a
given time in order that those whom He wished to save might be converted.
Why God admonishes men; why He does not save them without admonishment; and why the wicked are punished.
If you inquire further: Whether God was not able to save them without
this admonishment, we respond that He was. Why, then, does He not thus
save them, you might inquire. To this I will reply after you
have told me why He did not make the Red Sea passable without a
strong east wind, and why He does not make things to move without the
agency of other things, and an infinite number of other things which
He does by means of mediating causes. Then you will ask: Why are the
wicked punished, since, because of their nature, they clearly fulfill
the divine decree? I respond that it is also according to the divine
decree that they should be punished. And if only those whom we believe
to sin from choice should be punished, why do men attempt to exterminate
venomous serpents? for they only act according to their nature, nor are
they able to do otherwise.
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